Dental floss holder



April 17, 1928.

R. L. CUMMER DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Filed April 8. 192*? Patented Apr. 17,1928.

floss has a tendency to stretch when damp- UNITED; STATES {PATENTOFFICE.

01mm" nonmrimt, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, cursing.

nEn'uiL FLO A n'can filed April 8, V

' This invention relates to holders for dental floss,'which is used forthepurpose of cleaning between the teeth. Considerable difliculty hasbeen experienced with holders such as heretofore in use'in holding thefloss sufli-.

ciently taut to satisfactorily clean the teeth,

and particularly on account of the fact'that v common use, andwhich isalso snlliciently cheap that a fresh holder may be supplied with eachspool and the whole device discarded when the spool-has been used.

The floss is usually sold in a small glass container having its mouthclosed by a metal screw cap, and l attain my objects bymounting a springon the metal cap, with which spring is connected an arm to the end ofwhich the floss is fastened. The spring and arm are arranged so that thespring tends to rock the arm to cause a tension onthe floss, themovement of the spring and arm being sufficient to take up any slacknessin the floss due to stretching of the latter when dampened. I

The construction is hereinafter more specifically described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is aperspective view of the preferred form 01 my invention;

Fig. 2 a section through the top of the container illustrating themethod. of gripping'the floss;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of a form of my device in folded position;

Fig. 4 a side elevation of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5 a sectional view of another type of container. having myinvention applied thereto. w

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures. p

1 represents a roll or spool of floss, 2 the glass container in whichitis usually sold,

and 3 the metal screw cap for the container. 7

Within the top of the cap is placed a the capis'l'ormed a hole 7 ssHOLDER. 4

192?. Serial N o. 182,152.

washer 4 of suitable material havin a good grippmg surface and also asecon washer 5 having a hole 6 therein. In the side of."

I p The floss is threaded thro'ug'h'the hole 6, then between the two'washersand'through the hole 7. i It] will be evident'therefore that ifthe container be screwedtightly into the cap that the two washers willbe tightly forced to-.

,gether to prevent passage of the floss, and

that if the container be loosened in the cap,

the'washers will move suflicientlyto allow the floss to be withdrawnfrom the spool through the opening 7.

' Secured to the cap is a coil spring 8, prefe'rably formed. as part ofa guard 9, which extends down one side'of the container 1.. It isevident,'ot' course, that the guard may extend-around the bottom and upthe opposite side of the container if'so desired.

10is an arm, having both endsbent at,

of the arm. The end 10 is pivoted in an eye formed at the inner end ofthe spring 8.

substantially right angles to the' nain part I This end 10" is doubledback'on itself to form a projection or shoulder 10 adapted to engagethespr ng adjacent the eye and limit the'rockmg of thearm in onedirection.

The other end 10 of the arm is provided,

with one or more notches 11 in which the end of the floss may beengaged.

The spring normally tends to rock the arm to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 1. When it is desired to use the floss the arm isrocked against the tension of the spring to the position shown in fulllines in 1, in which position the end 10' is closest to the hole 7 Asufiicient length offloss having been drawn through the opening 7 andthe container tightly screwed home to prevent further withdrawal, thefloss is engaged in the notches 11. -The arm is then sition graduallyincreasing the distance of its end 10 from the hole 7. As the spring isthus under tension if there be any stretching of the floss, the arm-will be'forced back, but as its end moves further from the hole' 7 theslack in the floss will be automatically taken up.

Various arrangements of the spring for actuating the arm 10 may bedevised, one

set free and the spring tends to rock itback modification being shown inFig, i in which the arm is plvoted on a suitable support and a coilspring is mounted on the arm, one end of the spring engaging thewsupportand the vest pocket in the same manner as a pencil or en. 4

In Fi 5 another 1; e of container is shown. lhe container is circular inshape with a'wide annular channel adjacent its periphery, the walls atthe centre being normally comparatively close together but adapted to beclamped tightly together; One wallhas an opening 13 therethrough for thepassage of floss. To this side of the container i's secured a bridge 14through which is threaded a screw 15. Bytightening down on this screw,the adjacent wall of the container may be forced against the oppositewall to clamp the floss between them. The screw 15- is provided with ahole in alinement with the passage 13. l V

To the outer periphery of the casing is secured the spring 1.6, whichhas a. tension arm 10 which is mounted and acts in exactly the samemanner as in the form shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

1}. In! a. dental floss holder; the combination of'a receptacle forholding" the floss and having an outlet through which a length of flossmay be drawnanmeans adjacent the out- 'tion of a receptacle for holdingthe floss and having an outlet through Which a l'ength of floss maydrawn means adjacent the out.- let for gripping the flo'ssg a swmgmg armadapted: to have the end oi the floss engaged therewith and spring meanstending to rock i the arm to tension the floss; v

3'. In a dental floss holder, the combination of a carrier for thefloss; floss gripping means on said carrier an arm movable relative tothe carrier a-nd adapted to have the, 7

end of the floss engaged therewith; and a spring normally tending tomove said: arm to. tenslon the length, of the floss between the grippingmeans'on the carrier and the arm.

Signed atTorontO, Canada, this 5th day Of April, 1927.

ROBERT" L.

